In September 2016, Liverpool John Moores University in partnership with BRE officially opened three full-scale ‘eco’ houses on the Byrom Street campus. The houses are designed to standards from the 1920s, 1970s and present day to test and develop new green technologies and building methods, which will help make the country's housing stock more energy efficient.
One of the primary objectives of the dwellings is to support the sustainability research agenda through the exploitation of the facility. The housing sector is currently faced with significant challenges associated with sustainability and carbon reduction, the creation of these dwellings allows research to be undertaken which incorporates specific features reflective of key R&D needs of the current UK environmental agenda. The exemplar homes can be used as a realistic test facility for this research and the development and application of a range of carbon reducing and environmental monitoring mechanisms.
In addition, the dwellings provide a dynamic, site based learning facility for our students. Enabling them to be able to interact with the design and construction details of modern, sustainable dwellings whilst enhancing curriculum and visibly incorporating research in to the teaching environment.
In order to reflect the real nature of the UK housing stock three properties have been constructed as flexible R&D testing environments, the first using typical 1920s design, the second using 1970s design and construction form, the third to be constructed employing typical contemporary design features
Benefits of this initiative are:
- To enable on-going research into key focus areas driven by legislation, environmental agenda and regulation change. This might include inter-alia: Energy and performance monitoring through non-contact sensor applications, real-time consumption adjustment and condition monitoring for services, enhancing insulation performance of older properties; integration of renewables into newer properties.
- To experiment with the intelligent sensor arrays associated with remote performance and environmental monitoring and energy management profiling.
- To provide realistic, habitable home environments to enable testing and data collection under realistic test-bed conditions. This affords the opportunity for commercial exploitation to test and evaluate products under development from manufacturers and contractors.
- To provide a medium to long term vehicle for collaborative research opportunities between LJMU and external partners and funders with mutually agreed research drivers and outcomes.
If you would like to make an enquiry regarding the Exemplar Houses please contact Abi Lewis, a.h.lewis@ljmu.ac.uk.
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